Barbel in Stillwater

R

Ron Clay

Guest
In South Africa they have a number of Barbus species that are very closely related to our oown native barbel. Many of these fish now inhabit still waters such as large reseviors. In them they grow to vaery large sizes and provide sport of the finest kind. I've caught Smallmouth Yellowfish in stillwaters up to 18 pounds that have fought magnificently. I wonder what would happen if we stocked some of our larger reserviors with barbel. Would they do better than in rivers? I ask this knowing that there are some smaller commercials with barbel in them.
 
A

Andy Thatcher

Guest
I have caught barbel from still waters that have been flooded by the Rhine in Germany. They are the same species as ours and have probably been in these lakes for generations. They would do well in lakes. Would I fish for them ? Nope don't think so but the odd thing is that I would have no problems fishing for Spanish Comizo's that go to around 60lb.
 
D

Dave Johnson

Guest
Ron, I reckon the barbel record will probably go to a commercial fishery in a couple of years. If we are to believe the comments on the forum about the size of the Ouse fish etc-and they did make sense, then it follows that if you put a barbel in a stillwater and feed it with pellet and other high pro baits and IT DOES NOT expend energy in the current-well, who knows......
 
K

Kevin Colston-iles

Guest
Barbel in this country are surely native to our rivers, I have never fished for them or wanted to catch them from a stillwater. It seems to me the only reason they would be in a stillwater is for commercial gain, why would anyone want to them out of their natural environment,surely stocking them in Lakes is done for one reason only-capital gain!!
 
R

Richard Drayson

Guest
I`m not a barbel angler but do we really want to see barbel artificially stocked in stillwaters? Not me. The rivers are their natural habitat and that`s where they ought to stay. This smacks of man mucking about with nature again, and we all know from past experience what happens don`t we? Bl**dy disaster!
 
G

Goose Ganderton

Guest
The question of Barbel in stillwaters is a very emotive one and as a member of the Barbel Society I have a particular passion for these fish. I must say that in my opinion it is totally wrong to stock them in an artificial environment and I would never fish a water that has stocked them.

Their natural environment is flowing water with clean gravel beds, not silt clogged lakes. It is very rare for them to breed in such conditions as are found in stillwaters, which inturn must alter their metabolism.

The owners of commercial stillwaters are only interested in turning a profit and those that do stock Barbel have absolutely no interest in the welfare of the fish.
I think you will find that the EA now have a policy of no Barbel in stillwaters.
Do we really want to get to the same state as stillwater Trout fishing by producing triploids which are sexless fish that just pile on weight for our benefit.
 
P

Phil Husselbury

Guest
Perhaps I'm being a bit naive. I have caught a stillwater barbel (by accident, not design)and as the commercial fishery in question was next to a stretch of river, I had to wonder.

As I understand it, carp were originally introduced into this country and stocked in ponds. There are now carp in British rivers which have not only been accepted but the carp lads have worked out rigs, methods, etc to target them. I don't know what the answer is but as we have zander, river carp, sterlets and even tropical fish in some stretches of canal, where does one draw the line - what is acceptable and what is not? Take the rainbow trout away from the fluff-chucking brigade? I think not!!
 
R

Ron Clay

Guest
By the way Phil, must you call one or the most skillful and enjoyable forms of angling - "fluff chucking". Can you do it?
 
P

Phil Husselbury

Guest
Ron,

Sorry. It's not a term of disrespect. My Uncle Fred is a keen fly fisherman and we often engage in banter with him calling me a maggot drowner. I have all the respect in the world for fly fisherman. It certainly looks enjoyable. And I know it's skilful, matching the fly to weather, water conditions, etc. The only thing that puts me off a bit is that the quarry is limited to trout. I'm happier with the not knowing what's next scenario.Can I do it? Don't know, I've never tried. So sorry if you took offence, I certainly didn't mean any. My apologies.
 
R

Ron Clay

Guest
No problem Phil. By the way I have caught something like 12 species of fish other than trout on the fly. Not only is it good fun but extremely effective in the right conditions. My biggest ever carp which was killed, was taken on a fly. It weighed 27.....kg and was caught from a trout lake from a float tube at an altitude of 6500 feet ASL.
The rule was that ALL carp caught had to be killed
 
P

Phil Husselbury

Guest
Ron,

Of course, I have heard of dace,roach, rudd and even carp and pike caught on the fly. Sounds like a challenge.

Sorry to hear about the carp. I guess you couldn't really smuggle 56lb of carp in your Barbour and expect the authorities to miss it, could you? Seems such a shame that any fish has to be killed though. I remember feeling the same sadness when that gentleman, a Mr Watson I believe, killed and mounted two outsized rudd that had probably survived fifteen winters to get to that size. maybe one day, we'll have water wardens who don't pass the sentence on a fish because it just happens to be there. I mean I can't stand Michael Barrymore but...
 
R

Ron Clay

Guest
The carp was carted off by two farm workers who helped me land it after it had towed me around for over an hour. I beached the fish by pushing it up a gently shelving shore and one of the workers grabbed it by the gills. I couldn't weigh it properly but when I went back there the following weekend the farmer told me it weighed 27 kg and that his workers had eaten it. It took a size 8 Montana nymph to 8 lb Maxima. it didn't fight very much,other than plug around for an hour, but carp in South Africa are not renowned for fighting all that well
 
P

Phil Husselbury

Guest
Ron,

STrange that carp down there don't fight well. Is it something to do with the conditions? The heat, maybe? I remember a particular rod-caught 6lb mirror from a Herefordshire that took 40 minutes on a 4.6lb Bayer, size 14 and two casters. It just went crackers and was still fighting in the net. It would probably have punched me if it could. I think there's a lot to be said for particular waters holding fish with unusual qualities. I caught bream from Somerley Lakes in Ringwood that fought like wounded rhinos and yet in most other places, the fight's as equal as a Bruno-Tyson bout and lasts about as long.
Strange old world, isn't it?
 
R

Ron Clay

Guest
I've never been able to work out why the carp don't fight too well in SA. I caught thousands of them fishing for carp and the only ones that did fight well were the commons in the Vaal river. But then all river carp do fight well. Hook into a good one on the tidal Trent and you will know all about it
 
P

Phil Husselbury

Guest
I can believe that. I caught one on the Severn a few years ago. It was only around the five pound mark but it gave a good account of itself. I assume it was washed into the river during a flood or something? Anyway, it was murder in that current so I can see your point about Trent carp. Would very much like to try a spot of Mahseer fishing at some point. That looks a hell of a fish.
 
P

Paul Williams

Guest
Phil,
Carp have been in the Severn for a long time mate, they seem to be showing a lot more now but i think it is because more anglers are stepping up their gear for the big barbs and landing the carp instead of losing them.......carp seem to get on OK with rivers but getting back to the thread i personally don't think barbs will enjoy the small muddy commercial fisherys that seem to stock them.
Another problem that has arisen is that barbel have disapeared from some rivers allegedly to stock stillwaters that is totally wrong for a number of reasons.....the worst imho being that these fish were bred into a river envoiroment and then dropped into a still muddy water, any one who has seen river barbs twisting on a clean gravel run will dispise this act of fish theft.
 
D

Dean Hill

Guest
I personally love to fish for barbel,being fortunate enough to live withih 10 miles of the 'best' stretches of the ouse, beds/bucks border.Stillwater barbs dont fight as hard or long.Other than that, they seem to survive ok,even spawning at B.Makins fisheries.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top